RISK OF MULTIPLE SMALL-PACKAGE SPILLS OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

The Materials Transportation Bureau (MTB) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have agreed to regulate the transportation of hazardous substances only when they are shipped in larger than reportable quantities. This agreement simplifies the transportation regulations associated with hazardous substances and reduces the cost of complying with those regulations. However, it presents a potential risk of multiple small-package spills. A method is developed for assessing this spill risk by using data available from the Hazardous Material Incident Reporting System. Application of the data and methods revealed that the risk from multiple small-package spills was less than 0.5 percent of the risk of other regulated spills. Thus, the decision by EPA and MTB to regulate the transport of hazardous substances only when shipped in larger than reportable quantities is supported.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/977/977-003.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=RISK+OF+MULTIPLE+SMALL-PACKAGE+SPILLS+OF+HAZARDOUS+SUBSTANCES&author=P.+Hoxie&publication_year=1984
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Transportation of Hazardous Materials.Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Hoxie, Paul
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 15-22
• Monograph Title: Transportation of hazardous materials: planning and accident analysis
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 977
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Enviromental spills; Hazardous materials; Risk assessment
• Old TRIS Terms: Small/package spills; Spillage
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00394907
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030903759X
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM